


Home Isn't a Place, It's a Person

by PattRose



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Angst and Humor, Anxiety, Depression, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 03:38:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PattRose/pseuds/PattRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John needs to go up to Dorian’s apartment that he is provided with.  What is his place like?  Is Dorian happy there?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Isn't a Place, It's a Person

Home Isn’t a Place, It’s a Person  
By Patt

 

Summary: John needs to go up to Dorian’s apartment that he is provided with. What is his place like? Is Dorian happy there?   
Warnings: Angst  
Genre: Pre-slash   
Rating: teen  
Word Count: 2469  
Notes: This is my take on how it might be for John and Dorian. This isn’t canon. We haven’t even seen his apartment or whatever yet.

[ ](http://s71.photobucket.com/user/PattRose1/media/almost-human-pilot-6-710x400_zpsee8d278c.jpg.html)

John had been picking Dorian up for weeks now and Dorian had never asked him inside to see his place. This made John sort of wonder if there was something wrong with it. John decided that at the end of shift, he was going to grab a six pack and invite himself up to have a cold one. They had become close in the last four weeks and John felt like they could be moving towards something deeper if Dorian had a mind to. But how does one bring that up with an android? 

He pulled up in front of the building and Dorian wasn’t there. This was weird. He parked and waited and after about twenty minutes, he decided he needed to find out where Dorian lived. It wasn’t like John could go door to door and ask. He pulled his phone out and called Rudy. 

“Hello?” Rudy answered. 

“Rudy, I need Dorian’s apartment number. He’s not here. I’m a little worried,” John said. 

This made Rudy smile. John liked to act all tough, but he really did like Dorian a lot. “He’s on the third floor, 300. I’ll see if I can reach him in the mean time.”

“Thanks, Rudy. I’ll call you if I can’t find him,” John replied. 

John walked up the stairs and thought, _You’d think the city could give him a nicer building than this. This is a horrible place._ John about jumped when he saw a rat. Then he saw bugs, which scared John even more. What kind of place was Dorian living in, anyhow?

John knocked on the door of 300 and it was opened by a confused looking Dorian. “What are you doing here, John?”

“I usually pick you up at the curb, but you weren’t there. So, I’m here to be sure you’re all right.”

“I’m sorry, come in. I was plugged in for a total recharge, which I don’t have to do all the time, but something seems to have eaten through the wires. I’m a little off today. You may have to work with an MX-43 so I can charge at Rudy’s. I’m very sorry that I’m late, John.”

John looked around the apartment and saw it was spotless clean. John found it odd that a rodent would even want to be in there. “You keep your place very clean, Dorian. I’m surprised a rodent came and bothered you.”

“It’s not the first time, John. I just have to work around it. This is the best the city can do for a non-human worker. The MX-43’s all live in a building, so I consider myself very lucky,” Dorian explained. 

“You know what, I’m calling in sick. I’ll take you to Rudy’s place and you can charge or whatever it is you do and then we’ll have the day off. How does that sound?” John asked. 

“Captain Maldonado won’t like that much, John.”

“Tough. We’ve worked seven days in a row without a break. I think we’ve earned a day off. Then we can go to my apartment and I’ll make lunch,” John said, happily. 

“John, I don’t eat.”

“I know that, but you can keep me company while I do. How is that?”

Dorian said, “That would be fine. But don’t fight with the captain over this,” Dorian pleaded. “If I don’t do my job, I won’t have a place to live. I can’t live with the MX-43’s. That wouldn’t be good at all.”

John shook his head and said, “Don’t worry so much. I couldn’t live with them either.”

Dorian followed John down the stairs and seemed a little down and out. John never thought about it, but did androids suffer depression or anxiety? He would have to talk to Rudy.

~~~~~

When John dropped Dorian off at Rudy’s lab, he walked upstairs to see about a day off or maybe even two. He got upstairs and everyone asked him why he was late. 

“I’m not late, I’m taking off today and tomorrow. What a concept, a day off,” John said, very seriously. 

He walked to the captain’s door and knocked. She opened the door and said, “I’ve been looking all over for you. Why isn’t Dorian with you?”

“Can I come in and talk to you?” John asked quietly. 

“Oh, sorry. Of course, come in and sit down,” she said. 

John did just that as she shut the door. “Where is Dorian? I need the two of you on a call that came in about five minutes ago.”

“Captain, have you ever been to Dorian’s apartment?” John asked. 

“Why would I have been to his apartment?” she asked. 

“Well, he didn’t come down and wait at the curb like he usually does, so I had to go up to get him and his building is full of rats. In fact, a rat ate through his wires while he was charging up. So, needless to say, it didn’t charge up. And Dorian was so out of it this morning it was like he was on drugs or something. And I didn’t know any better I would say he’s depressed.”

“John, he’s a robot. They don’t get depressed.”

“How do you know? Could you live in an apartment that was full of rats and bugs? Could you?” John wondered. 

“No, but I’m a human, he’s not. He doesn’t need a home, John. He just needs a place to plug in from time to time. In fact, maybe I’ll contact the city and tell them he might need to move over to where we house the MX-43’s,” Captain Maldonado said. 

“You’re missing the whole point. He needs a place of his own without fear of bugs and rats more like we live. This building he lives in should be condemned. I can’t believe they expect him to live there.”

“John, I need you to get to work,” she said. 

“Captain, I would like two days off to help him find a new place. Surely they give him a certain amount to pay, right?”

“They provide the building and apartment, John. We can’t find one for him. The city won’t pay for anything higher than he’s staying in now.”

“I’ve got two bedrooms, would they pay me if he lived there?” John asked, getting angrier by the moment. 

“Yes, they would pay you, but it wouldn’t be much,” she stated. 

“I’d like two days off, so I can get him moved over to my apartment,” John said. 

“Fine. Get this all out of your system and come back to us like your normal self.”

“What do you mean?” John inquired. 

“You asked if Dorian could get depressed. I don’t want you worrying about him. He’s a robot, John. A very human acting robot, but still a robot. Now, take your two days and go,” she said as she held the door open for him. 

“See you later,” John said as he left the area. He walked down the stairs to the lab and asked Rudy, “How is he?”

“Well, he needed to charge and he didn’t get a chance. Normally, this wouldn’t have happened, but he’s been working so much that he didn’t have time to charge. Think about it like food for you. He can’t go that long without charging and making it. He’ll be another hour at least, John.”

“Rudy, have you ever heard of androids being depressed?”

“Was he upset, this morning?” Rudy asked. 

“Not really upset so much, as if he’d given up all hope. I’m going to ask him if he’d like the extra room at my place. What do you think of that? I have a really nice place. Clean, no rodents or bugs and he could charge every night if he needed to,” John said. 

“That’s very nice of you, John. But he might not want to. He would feel like he’s taking advantage of you,” Rudy explained. 

“But the city would pay me, for the apartment. It would help me,” John said. 

“He would think you felt sorry for him,” Rudy said. 

“I sort of do, Rudy. Have you ever seen his place? It’s disgusting how they expect him to live. I’ll talk him into it. Don’t’ worry and he’ll be able to charge every night.”

“This is a good thing you’re trying to do, John, but I don’t think he’ll agree to it. I’m not always right though, 92% of the time, I am. But not always.”

John smiled and said, “I’ll just sit here and wait for Dorian,” John said. 

Dorian walked out of the room he had been in and said, “I’m ready to go to work now, John.”

“We’ve got two days off and boy do I have a lot to discuss with you,” John said. 

Dorian looked at Rudy and said, “Have I been charging for days?”

John laughed and said, “Two hours is all. Come on, we have big plans made today.”

Dorian followed him out to the car and asked, “What do we have planned?”

“You’ll see. First, we’re going to my apartment, I want to show you something.”

“Would you like to listen to music or news while we drive there?” Dorian asked, giving John an odd look. 

“No, we can just talk.”

“There was a time when you didn’t want me to talk,” Dorian said, wearing a big smile. Now he was starting to look like the old Dorian. 

“Yes, but I’ve gotten past that phase and I like when you talk most of the time,” John reminded him. 

“I was listening to music while I was charging at Rudy’s lab and it was a very sad song, but yet, hopeful. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. Have you ever heard the song called, Imagine?”

“By John Lennon, yeah, everyone has heard that song. It is a little sad, but still hopeful. Just imagine all the wonderful things that could happen if people listened to what he sang,” John said. 

“Can I play it now?” Dorian asked. 

“Sure, I love that song,” John admitted. 

“Could we sing along with it?” Dorian asked. 

“Sure, I think I might remember the words. If not, I’m sure you’ll correct me,”

They both began to sing the song and John swore that there were tears in Dorian’s eyes at the end of the song. 

“Dorian, are you all right today? You seem a little off your game,” John asked. 

“I’ll be fine. I was upset that you saw my apartment. I never wanted you to see it. It’s awful, I know that. I saw the look of horror on your face when you saw how I lived and I was disgusted that I had to have you see it.”

“You know, I heard a really good saying one time. It’s about your home. The saying goes, home isn’t a place, it’s a person. What do you think they meant by that?” John asked. 

“I would think they meant that if you have someone living with you that you like, it’s a home. You would share that place and it would become a home. Is that right, John?”

“That’s exactly right. Did you know that I have two bedrooms in my apartment? And it’s never been a home because I’m lonely. I have no one to share it with. So, my job today is to talk you into sharing my apartment with me and it will become a home for both of us.”

“John, they are talking about humans, not androids.”

“How do you know? Did it tell you that? Did that saying specify that to you? Because I didn’t get it from that at all. I want to share my place with you and we can make a home.”

“John, I think you are getting too attached to me. You’re acting like we’re friends or something more. This can’t be.”

“Why not, Dorian? Why can’t we both be happy in the same place? And what’s wrong with being my friend or more?” John asked. 

“I like you, John. But I’m afraid that you think there will be feelings and I’m an android.”

“Bullshit. I’ve seen more feelings out of you than anyone in the station. How do you explain that?” 

“I think you need to think about this some more. You won’t have privacy anymore. I will be there and I promise you, I will drive you nuts.”

“I’m sure you will, as well as I will drive you nuts, too. Promise that you’ll think on it after you see the room. And some day, maybe we could move things further than friends,” John suggested. 

“John, you need to think some more on this,” Dorian said, sadly. 

“Dorian, why are you afraid of being more than friends?”

“I’m afraid of being just plain friends, let alone more than friends. I don’t feel like I could be emotional enough for you and give in to your needs when you needed it done. You’re not a big talker, so this would take a lot of time,” Dorian pointed out. 

“Dorian, we have tons of time. I’m not in a rush. We can start out as friends and roommates and move on from there when you’re comfortable.”

John parked his car and said, “Follow me. This is your new home.”

“This is a really nice area. I’m shocked that you can afford it,” Dorian said. 

“I barely can, but I like it here. It’s quiet, it’s clean and no bugs or rodents. That’s my favorite part.”

They rode up the elevator and got off and walked to John’s door. John opened it and they walked in. John smiled at the look on Dorian’s face. It was awe and wonder. John felt fantastic. He knew this was going to work.

“Come on, I’ll show you you’re room,” John showed him the second bedroom and showed him everything else in the apartment also. 

“This is a lovely home, John.”

“And do you know why, Dorian?”

“Yes, because home isn’t a place, it’s a person. I understand now. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Thank you for asking me. We could go and get things right now if you want,” Dorian said. 

“I have to eat something first,” John said and he made a sandwich. 

Dorian continued to look out the window of the high rise apartment and smiled when he looked at John. 

John was happy to see that the old Dorian was back. And John realized that they could indeed get depressed. John wasn’t saying a word to anyone about it. It was his little secret. 

The end


End file.
